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In June 1908 a Pharmacy Ordinance was enacted under which morphine and cocaine and their preparations were scheduled as Poisons with further res- trictions as to their wholesale and retail use. In view of the experience of India, cocaine (though not at present abused here) was made the subject of elaborate regulations of a similar nature to those already in force regarding morphine and opium compounds in order to control the wholesale trade and prevent illicit import to China.
A decoction of the leaves of the Combretum Sudaicum has been stated to be a cure Opium cures.
(4.) Quack for the opium babit. The Director Botanical Department Singapore informs me remedies. that it is a complete fraud which only lasted three months, during which time the promoters made great gains. The only man he knew who tried it became a wreck took to opium again and died. This was confirmed by the results obtained by the Viceroy of Szechuan who imported a great quantity at the instance of Mr. Alexander.
tion.
The education of public opinion, on which both the Straits Commission) Educa and M. Hardouin lay stress, is the only real method of curing the habit, the more so that it is usually the rich who smoke to excess. This view is rightly emphasised in the original decreet, and there seems little doubt that throughout the Chinese Empire, among the better classes there has been a very real progress in this direction. Smoking is now prohibited in the Army, Navy, and Civil Services and in schools and colleges. The evils of the opium habit should be inculcated in every school not only in China, but in the Foreign Con- cessions and British Colonies. But above all stress should be laid on the evils of eating opium and of eating or injecting morphia and also on the misuse of alcohol.
of smoking.
It may be of use to restate the facts as to the prevalence of opium smoking. Prevalence Sir John Jordan gave it as his opinion that only 8,000,000 (say 2%) of the population of China were addicted to the habit. ** Sir Robert Hart, I believe, estimated it (in 1881) at a much lower figure. Dr. Ayres states that the Chinese Customs returns estimate the number of smokers to population in China at 2% (1893)—probably referring to Sir Robert Hart's estimate. Mr. Clementi in a recent elaborate and very careful calculation puts it at considerably less than 2% for the whole of China but 4.4% in the province of Szechuan, where purely native opium is smoked, while in Hongkong where the adult male population (who alone smoke) is three times that of the adult females (while the latter predominate in China) the percentage of smokers is 6.25. These figures are challenged by a paper named Chinese Opinion which argues that it is only the adult male population which should be reckoned, and works out a percentage of 8.31. Mr. Clementi's figures for adult males are, however, more liberal being 12.94 for Hongkong only. As the population of China is largely rural the lower estimate is probably more correct, and allowing for a proportion who smoke less than the amount calculated (though this again is probably more than balanced by the excessive smokers) it will probably be approximately correct to say that not more than 1.5% of the total population smoke opium, and not more than ten per cent of the adult males are sinokers,-a large proportion of whom are only casually addicted.
It has been stated that great difficulty is experienced in giving up the habit, Difficulty of but in the Hongkong gaol the drug is entirely prohibited with no ill results giving up beyond a little temporary diarrhoea. T
the habit.
I have attempted in the foregoing paragraphs to shew that those who may Conclusion. claim to be not less interested, in the question of the Native Races, and in the welfare of the intelligent, industrious and most interesting population of China,
* See also Straits Opium Report § 297. I have endeavoured to ascertain whether there is any substance which could be mixed with opium (whether sold medicinally or for smoking) which would render it impossible to use it for self-indulgence in eating, by producing nausea or other deterrent effects. I have not, however, so far been able to discover any such method of de-naturing the drug. The Government of Java which has an Opium Monopoly mixes some substance with the opium prepared for smoking by which its own brand can be immediately detected though the flavour is not spoilt,→→ they decline, however, to disclose the nature of the ingredient. Lithum carbonate (5 qrs. to 100lbs. of opium) will however, serve the purpose required. It is entirely harmless and does not impair the value for smoking.
Art. IV. of Decree. Sir J. Jordan 26.11.06. China No. 1 (1908).
**Sir Jordan 30.9.06 China No. 1 (1908). †† Indian Opium Commission. Vol. V. p. 193.
See also Dr. Ayres' report. Indian Commission Vol. V. p. 193.
Straits Commission § 267.